Interview: Let Our Enemies Beware

Let Our Enemies Beware are an up and coming four piece rock group from Chatham. We sent a few questions over to their slobbering, half-mad wordsmith, Shareef Dahroug:
By way of an introduction, could you tell our readers who you are and just why exactly your enemies should heed your warning?
We are Let Our Enemies Beware. We are a cohesive unit of noise-niks, spaff-monkeysâ and acid-crazed gonzoloids strapped together by volume, fury and reams of gaffer tape. Our enemies... (continued)

Let Our Enemies Beware are an up and coming four piece rock group from Chatham. We sent a few questions over to their slobbering, half-mad wordsmith, Shareef Dahroug: By way of an introduction, could you tell our readers who you are and just why exactly your enemies should heed your warning?
We are Let Our Enemies Beware. We are a cohesive unit of noise-niks, spaff-monkeysâ and acid-crazed gonzoloids strapped together by volume, fury and reams of gaffer tape. Our enemies already know why they should beware - If you donât know, youâre probably safe.
You've been played on Radio One and received numerous positive reviews. Are you looking to make it big or are you content with the sweaty intimacy of punk rock?
To think we have any kind of plan is laughable. We are laughing at you right now. Ha.
Hailing from Maidstone myself I've experienced first hand the vacuum at the heart of Medway. How did you set about getting known and was it a struggle to get appreciated?
Iâve seen the vacuum at the heart of Medway and it was nothing to write home about. Rory and his comrades from local legends Screaming Keith/Rise of Mammals were kind enough to offer us our first gigs and mutual appreciation, as were Up-C Down-C. Even a vacuum has a silver-lining.
You cite a number of non-musicians as influences, such as Bukowski, Nietzsche and Charlie Brooker. In what ways have figures like these informed your music?
I have no idea who those people are or what they do - they are footballers, right? If I did know I would say they are all great observers and have informed our way of thinking about the world and have pointed out who is worth ripping off â but, of course, I donât.
Your live sets are loud to say the least. Would you say you're a band to be experienced in the flesh or do you think you can do more in the recording studio?
Iâm not sure, it depends on if you want to listen to our music or lose your hearing. One of our last gigs involved a stage-invasion by a fat landlord, projectile jack-plugs, javelined microphone stands and about two and a half songs.
The band consists of a drummer and three guitarists. Was the lack of a bassist an artistic decision or simply a necessity? What effect does it have on your music?
Bass players make my very bone marrow sick. Iâm saying this even though Adam intermittently plays bass for hardcore maestros Carmen and it is my first instrument but that still applies. Frankly, our egosâ decided for us. With respect to affecting the music, we do have to tune down to cover the general bass-lessness [sp?] which people mistake for some kind of hardcore influence.
You have your own youtube channel, Shareef blogs for the band and James Boast provides some
fantastic artwork. Are these merely sexy promotional devices or some stab at a multi-media extravaganza?
Iâd like to say that Let Our Enemies Beware are a self-facilitating media node a la Nathan Barley but these are all examples of things we enjoy inflicting on the world. I try to string terrifyingly long sentences together; Boast unleashes his eye rapes and Steve Mates (he did our POW! Video) promotes his unique brand of evil.
What can we expect from Let Our Enemies Beware in the last half of 2009â?
An album in September which has the best bits of âDhu Rakinaâ and our more recent shenanigans as well as a four-track single you can pre-order from the Smalltown America website. More gigs, some more music and a highly volatile hostage situation. Now if youâll excuse me, I need to go and wash away the stench of self-promotion.
"Check out Let Our Enemies Beware's Myspace.":http://www.myspace.com/letourenemiesbeware
"Or have a read of their blog.":http://letourenemiesbeware.blogspot.com/